Memories of the Dead
by Jinxometer
Summary: Riza's thoughts when Lust claims that Mustang is dead. Reviews are well appreciated.


Memories of the Dead

"Now then, where were we? I was just going to send the subordinate to join her superior." She said in a soft tone. The room was dead quite; the only sound was the clicks of her heels on the stone ground. They seemed to echo for eternity. _Click,__click._

A ball of fire grew in my stomach- it knotted and rearranged my organs until I thought I was going to be violently ill. It shot a beam into my heart, in which made it beat so fast I could hear it pulse in my ears. My pupils dilated and my senses were heightened.

My mind seemed to control my mouth with no filter. "Wait a minute." I said shakily. "When you said you already had to kill someone…" _Click,__click._

My hands started to shake and a shiver came over my entire body as I came to terms of the inevitable message. My brain started to pulse with memories, all of him. "It can't be." I commanded.

When I first met him, an awkward thirteen-year-old with a look on his face so nervous that he could have barfed on the spot.

The first time we had dinner together, while father worked tirelessly in his study.

That time where alchemy practice turned into a snowball fight in the dead of winter.

Those times when we celebrated each of our birthdays, just the two of us. For, my father never remembered, and he was an orphan.

The times where we would go out and look out at the night skies and talk about the unsolvable.

When he left for the military, I remember.

"YOU DIDN'T!" Rage welded up inside of me.

_Click,__click._

That day I saw him again after four years away, while I entered the military myself. The very day I saved him the first out of many times, in Ishval.

She laughed, my breath caught in my throat.

The look of a murder mirrored through our eyes.

My mind was no more. My heart on the other hand, clenched with control. "YOU BITCH!" _CRACK,__CRACK,__CRACK,__CRACK,__CRACK,__CRACK,__CRACK._

With every shot, a new part of me died. Instead of me, I thought of all the people that are now dead. My mother, _CRACK._My father, _CRACK._The people I killed in Ishval, the cracks ran together.Hughes, _CRACK._That Ishvalan child, _CRACK._

They all died in front of my eyes. Their faces, their thoughts, their breathing, _CRACK.__Gone._

Through most of these cracks in my soul, he's been there as I've had him.

_CRACK,_Roy.

I screamed my throat raw. I screamed for all whom I've lost and the nothing I had left to protect.

He wasn't just my superior; he was my best friend.

_CRACK,__CRACK,__CRACK,__CRACK,__CRACK,__CRACK,__CRACK,__CRACK,__CRACK,__CRACK,__CRACK._

I reloaded and kept shooting. I couldn't stop, nor did I want t; my trigger finger kept twitching.

Why wasn't I there? Why? _Why?__WHY?_ I LET HIM DIE WITH ALL THE REST OF ME.

My heart was coming out of my chest, my breath was hitching. My stomach was set on fire with all my being. For the second time, he set me on fire.

With every bullet she took, she just kept regenerating. Why must god be this cruel!

_CRACK,__CRACK,__CRACK,__CRACK.__Click._

My body went rigid, I was out of ammo. I looked down at the metal in my hands, as to ask it, 'Why have you stopped?'

I lowered my weapon as I started to cry, I was defeated. Even in my last turn of defense of him, I couldn't even avenge his death. I closed my eyes as I clenched my teeth. I looked up at my opponent again; shook in defeat and my eyes and cheeks grew moist.

I dropped to my knees, hoping she would kill me for my failure.

He's been through so much. So many times in this life in which he could of died. After all he's survived, why now? _WHY__NOW?_

I clasped into myself.

"Such a sad and weak creature. Another typical human." I heard nothing of what she said; I could only hear the sounds of my own mourning.

"Stand up lieutenant, you need to get out of here. " Alphonse coaxed me. I had forgotten he was here.

I paid no attention to their dialogue; I just recounted my life's worth of memories. I counted the seconds before I was to die. I possessed no more will.

Her talons were projected directly at me. My eye sight was blurry from tears, but I didn't care anyhow.

Alphonse got in her way. He needed to know that there was no need in protecting me any longer.

I caught my breath, "Listen Alphonse, leave me and save yourself." I commanded.

"No."

"Run." I snapped back, my raw throat ached. It felt bloody when I thought of him being gone. I tasted salty tears on my tongue.

"I won't!" he screamed at me.

"GO!" I practically screamed. Put me out of my misery!

"I WON'T LEAVE YOU! I'M SICK OF WATCHING PEOPLE DIE! AND I CAN'T JUST SIT BACK AND TAKE IT ANYMORE! I WON'T LET ANYONE ELSE GET KILLED! NOT WHEN I CAN PROTECT THEM!"

We shared the same thoughts, but different endings.

A shattering noise echoed through the room as Lust broke Alphonse's armor. I heard a clunk from behind me of metal hitting the ground. I still just stared at the floor, not even seeing it.

A new crackle of energy filled the air, "Well spoken, I couldn't have agreed more." A deep, raspy, familiar voice washed through the room.

My breath hitched as I slowly lifted my head to see if it was true. A glimpse was all I got until a wall of rock and metal shielded my path.

Heat was all around me, I could feel it. It dried my tears and my hope grew.

"Looks like I could get you on your knees," I heard the voice again.

He taunted her in between her screams. I heard none of them, just my own thoughts.

"COLONEL!" I screamed.

Finally, the fire stopped.

He clasped. "Colonel!" I ran to his side; his "murderer" wasn't in sight.

'He's alive, and that's all I need,' I thought.


End file.
